Fake NBA Trade of the Day 2/4/16: Derrick Rose to New Orleans

Every day, Pick and Popovich will post one fake trade and explain why it makes sense for every team involved to make it. There are no parameters beyond fitting within the salary cap. Sometimes the trades will involve stars, others role players. They are not grounded in actual rumors, they just make sense on paper.

Chicago Bulls Receive: New Orleans Pelicans Receive:

Tyreke Evans Derrick Rose

Norris Cole

Dante Cunningham

Why Chicago Would Make this Trade: Aside from the $6 million or so it would create in cap space (a very meaningful amount as it would get them to the periphery of a max slot)? Tyreke Evans is simply better at basketball than Derrick Rose right now. ESPN’s trade machine projected this move as a seven-win improvement for Chicago. Though his high three-point percentage is likely due to random variance and he remains an awkward fit next to Jimmy Butler (especially in two-big lineups), Evans gives Chicago a better, more complete and more dependable version of Rose for the stretch run. If anyone in the organization believes they can compete for a championship this season, This is the sort of move they’d be looking at. Even if not, it helps the team move on from the Rose era, which is best for all parties involved.

Why New Orleans Would Make this Trade: The Pelicans have to swing for the fences at some point, and Rose represents a fairly low-risk option. He’s only signed on through next season, so if he doesn’t return to superstar form they can move on quickly. Jrue Holiday is big enough and shoots well enough to play shooting guard and having stretchy bigs like Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson creates much easier driving lines for Rose. The basketball fit here makes much more sense than in Chicago, and the Pelicans need to at least try to find a superstar caliber player to put next to Davis. It probably isn’t going to be Rose, but the cost is low enough that it makes sense to give it a shot.